Dawn of the Serpents
by Itazuk
Summary: To plunge ourselves into the darkness with everything gone in the end. Must a man-made creation be destroyed in the end? Then what happens to the world…that was once full of life, will it disappear? -on hiatus, not up for adoption-


| **Dawn of the Serpents**

|** Chapter 01**

|** Genre:** Drama/Supernatural, and some Angst.

|** Pairings:** Might seem AtemxYuugi; otherwise it's still T as far this story goes.

| **Warnings:** Some OOCness (especially Atem and Yuugi), mild language. Character deaths(nothing too graphic). Fluff.

| **Notes:**

-a) I'm using 'Atem' for a reason in this story which you'll find out why.

-b) I'll be using the japanese names (ie. Yuugi, Jou, Honda) No formalities though.

-c1) There will be different POVs, sometimes in normal POV too.

▬c2) Speaking of POVs, I want to mention that most of the visions (in italics) are coming from Yuugi's POV.

-d) The quotes/sayings in between the line breaks before the chapter starts are kind of actual clues to the story.

-e) I've changed my writing style, just experimenting with it. Please don't mind.

| **Summary: **To plunge ourselves into the darkness with everything gone in the end. Must a manmade creation be destroyed in the end? Then what happens to the world…that was once full of life, will it disappear?

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><p><em>•○Energy can neither be created or destroyed<em>.•○

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><p>•○<p>

_Darkness… There's no light to be seen. The pressure wrapping around my body. No matter how far I go, I won't be free. But where is that darkness? It's clear but dark…_

_Just where…?_

_•○_

_**Honk!**_

A pair of amethyst eyes blinked, blinked twice to take in the surroundings. The car jolted to a stop causing everyone in the car to jerk forward. They hung on to their seats so no one would get hurt.

"Sheesh! Does no one know how to drive around here?" A man with a British accent cursed. They were on their way to Luxor, Egypt. The Ishtars had personally called them to Egypt now that it's important for them. Neither Ishizu nor Malik had left any clues to what's so important.

Malik had told Yuugi that he was required to come, coming from a request they should meet. He was bewildered to why he was required to come; it couldn't be an emergency, can it? Recently, Yuugi had been having strange visions that he couldn't explain. The vision he had while they were on the road to Egypt was one, but what was it?

There was no explanation for it.

•○

_It's dark…the clearness of the darkness is so vast that it cannot be a dream. It felt all too real…the tingling feeling on the skin, gliding. There's movement. It felt different…as if…not human…but something. Something alive. The darkness felt so painful, filled with sadness and loneliness…_

_Yet the darkness holds much more…its secret which it eventually let go of. What it's secret? Should I wait? Or should I know now? The darkness shall choose… The strange clear darkness…will shed away its light to tell…_

_But the question is…_

_Am I ready? To hear the truth? The secret it holds? ...Who knows…_

_•○_

Yuugi cupped his chin with his hand, his fingers touching his pale lips in thought. It had been distracting him, taking him away from reality and such…time consuming. So time consuming that the van had pulled in the driveway of the Ishtars' home.

The young man traced his lips with his finger, staring at nothingness ahead. He tapped his chin before he let himself out of the van. He bit his upper lip slightly, following the gang up the steps to the front door.

They looked at each other nervously, the brunet man took the courage and rang the doorbell. It chimed an odd rhythm; they waited and waited which seemed like a long time.

•○

_A skin so white, its even paler than what you describe 'pale'. That skin belonged to man, man who was never seen before or identified. That man was standing off to the side, watching the brutal waters clash. No, he wasn't seeing it. His eyes were closed. He was seeing the tides by listening and smelling it. A smell that never left his nose. A sound that never left his ears. A taste that is constantly on his tongue. A feeling that's always on his skin._

_Man was somewhat connected to the fiery ocean, always has been. He was a middle-sized man, thin layering of black hair, and his revealing ghostly white skin under the Ra's rays over the ocean. The man's head turned at a scarily slow pace to the side, his eyes cracking open._

_Unusual. Impossible. What ever word you use to describe it…_

_His eyes. _

_His black eyes filled with sorrow, loneliness, and sadness. His pale white lips reflected his irritation but his pose tells otherwise. He was intrigued and yet, jaded. Had the color drained from his eyes? From so much sorrow and sadness?_

_Unusual let's say. He still stared; unmoving. At the far side of his eye, a tear had escape down his face, which left a visible tan-colored streak to his jaw. The tear splashed on the ground, it started to bubble to take form. Before it could show any signs further, the man's foot stepped on the teardrop._

_A teardrop just tried to take form. But what…? Tears are like rain…water droplets raking the earth to moisten the land, but this one was different._

_•○_

The door opened, revealing a tall, slim man. He has long platinum-blond hair past his shoulders and dark lavender eyes. He bowed to them in greeting and smiled.

"Welcome, come on in," Malik spoke to them, he moved to the side to let them in. They said their greetings and anxiously walked in.

•○

○Yuugi's POV○

I peered around with my deep amethyst eyes. I've known that eyes like mine were rare...eyes like gems. I could see the tension in everyone's actions, not sure what to do at the moment. It was a last minute call for us to get over here as quickly as possible. I felt my stomach swimming, the shaking nervousness was drugging us.

I swallow thickly, pushing the lump down from my throat. I glance at Malik who also looked uneasy, his eyes tells otherwise as if he wanted to shout at the top of his lungs a piece of startling news. He kept his mouth shut, for once. As he never did before, well that was in the past and that was gone. I blinked in thought, realizing how much time had passed since then.

Twelve years. It had been twelve years since I had defeated Marik, Mailk's dual personality, from the Battle City finals. That time was very...nerve-wrecking...for...me? No, I can't forget.

The Nameless Pharaoh. Pardon me, he has a name now...the world still sees and know him by that title, 'The Nameless Pharaoh'. Not Atem or...the true King of Games. That was my title, and still is. Even so, it had been eleven years since Atem dropped his sword. To take on a new journey, in the afterlife. I would never forget that day, I treasure that memory. The memory so clear and seemed recent...

I shook my head slightly, briefly closing my eyes to shake away the memories and thoughts. Malik opened his mouth to say something, capturing everyone's attention.

"Why don't all of you relax and have a cup of tea with us?" Malik spoke in a low voice, yet calming. He paused, just before anyone made a move, he added, "Of course, we also have coffee and water...whichever soft drink you'll like."

The Egyptian man cracked a smile, walking to the hallway with every one of us behind him. We hadn't said much since we had arrived. We haven't been _here_ since _that_ day. I bit the cheek cushion in my mouth and walked slower as we got closer to the dining room.

We scuffled into the room, standing at the doorway while Malik went to sit next to a big, bald man with a long glossy black ponytail.

"Rishid!" Honda exclaimed while Anzu gasped. Another familiar face. Rishid is Malik's older and protective brother. He still has those tattoos covering on the side of his face, the tattoo that he'd always be loyal and protect his younger brother, Malik.

"Come on, go get some refreshments and sit down. You had a long flight, so relax." Malik said which had us moving by then. We grabbed our refreshments under the Ishtars' account and sat down at the dining table. We relaxed more that we had sat down. There was silence and I could feel the tension rising in the atmosphere.

I sit back, letting my mind wander off only to bring a memory of one night recently when the young Ishtar had called me.

~_Flashback_~

_I was laying in bed, sleeping peacefully and snoring lightly of the night. I wasn't awoken by the house phone ringing but none other than my grandfather. He was shaking me awake from my deep sleep. I groaned and cracked open my eyes only to see it was blurry. I blinked a couple of times before seeing clearly. I flipped myself onto my back and looked at Grandpa with tired eyes._

_"Yes, Grandpa?" I said in a quiet voice, I didn't feel like talking. By then I had spoke those words, a sickening feeling wretched my guts so I knew something was up. I dragged myself to sit up on the bed properly. He had the phone in his hand._

_"Here, someone wants to talk to you." My grandfather shoved the phone to me. I groaned, seriously who the hell would be calling in the middle of the night? A psycho...,doesn't ring a bell on who it might be. I snatched the phone from his hand and pressed it against my ear. Grandpa then left the room to leave me alone._

_"Yuugi Mutou," I said wearily. I felt my eyelids drooping and I fought to stay awake, trying not to fall asleep on the caller._

_"Yuugi!" The sudden shout had woken me up, I widened my eyes before narrowing. The voice sounded familiar...but I just cannot place it who it might be._

_"I am very sorry to be calling at this time of the night. This is Ishizu Ishtar, surely you remember me?" The soft and calming voice spoke. I now remembered who she was._

_"Ah, Ishizu! Yes, I remember you. What has been going on?" I knew that she wouldn't call without a good reason to, besides I have not heard from her since we came back from Egypt. Then again, I haven't heard from any of the Ishtars..._

_I could hear a scuffle in the background from Ishizu's end. I heard a 'thank you' before grasping the phone._

_"Yuugi, it's Malik. You need to get over here right now." He said with worry. I slowly stood up from the bed._

_"Why? What's going on?" I asked to get information from him. Something was up, and it's starting now._

_"No time to explain! Get your ass out of Domino and get over here to Egypt. This specific person requested that you come here immediately!" I ran my hand through my messy hair. I sighed, replying that I would be over. He left directions to get to their home and hung up. I would kill myself if I had gone straight back to bed so instead I began calling my friends and informed them. They would kill me if I left to go to Egypt without them._

~_Flashback End_~

"Malik," The name rolled off my tongue, breaking the silence. His lavender eyes stared, waiting. I briefly blinked before talking, "You will explain everything in time, right?"

The corner of his lip twitched and glanced down at the table with his hands in front of him.

"You won't be able to hear it from us...you have to see for yourself." A voice spoke, startling us except the Ishtar brothers. I knew that voice all too well, Ishizu. Again, my friends were surprised to see her. The Egyptian woman made her way around the room to her seat next to Rishid.

"What do ya mean we have to see it for ourselves?" Jounouchi blurted, I can tell he wasn't liking all the mysterious chit-chat. It's just another puzzle for all of us to solve...if we must. Ishizu remained unfazed from the blond's outburst.

She took a deep breath, "We weren't informed about anything much at all, to tell you the truth. The person you all will be meeting will tell us what. Whatever he says, it'll be news for us, too." I sigh, so there was no use...they definitely do not know anything.

"Where is this person we're suppose to meet? I thought he would be here." Anzu asked with concern. We waited for a reply. Somewhat, the wretched feeling in the pit of my stomach was trying to tell me something...but what?

"No, he is not here. We won't be able to meet him until tomorrow morning. We are going to go for a ride to his place. You will be staying there while you're here for the time being. This house doesn't have room for four more. I'm sorry," Malik said, taking over for his sister. He stood up from the chair he was seated in. He lead all of us out to his jeep.

It was evening, the sky turning red...the familiar burning red colour...not fire, not the stop lights, not lava nor magma, not flesh and blood, but certain eyes...I can never forget those daring, bold crimson eyes.

•○

_I felt myself walking through the white light, I was only watching but I didn't tell myself to move, it did all on its own...I felt light and more naked, yet heavy and tightening. I looked down at myself, there were bright gold bands on my wrists and upper arms. A tightening feeling, and heavy as if the jewelry were made out of pure gold... I only wore a long bloodied red kilt that reached my knees but no shirt. Light clothing and my chest was bare as to why I felt more exposed..._

_It felt odd. I was comfortable. How so? So comfortable that I had looked like this every single day...but I know I hadn't. Then that's when I realized the weight on my head. I squinted in the light._

_A reflection. There's a reflection of who this person I was I am watching in. I took a closer look at myself, I had a medium dark tanned skin and fragments of black hair from my head._

_What? No way. It can't be, can it?_

_I'm wearing the Double Crown on my head, so that what the weight was. On both sides of the white crown was feathers. I continued to stare at the reflection, with only one thought flushing through my mind._

_Who? Who is that I see myself as?_

_Then the reflection vanished while another man took its' place. Him. The ghostly skinned man with different emotions. I don't think I will ever understand him. I didn't grimace nor did I felt overwhelmed by his sorrow._

_"My lord, had the time cometh yet?" I heard myself spoke to the man. He still had those eyes, the same emotions radiating from his pose and lips. Unchanging emotions for a lifelong time?_

_"Sorry for the wait, Osiris-" I felt myself gasp in shock to who he had called me. Although the body I'm in, Osiris' body, did not make any sound. "-I had made up my mind."_

_I was silent, not understanding what we were talking about. A strong tingling feeling tugged the back of my mind, I shook it off. The nameless man continued after a momentarily pause. _

_I stared at him, I tried to read his lips. None of it made sense. I couldn't understand him! He was speaking in a different language...hell, I'm not even sure anymore. I thought some of the words he had said seemed familiar...but it doesn't ring a bell. _

_"I understand, we shall be prepared when that time comes, my lord." Osiris replied, I could feel the triggering sadness but he was calm. What had that man said...?_

_He simply vanished into the light, leaving me here until I got blinded by a sudden darkness intrusion in the light. _

•○

I was brought back to reality from yet another vision I had. It was more detailed but where in the world did that come from? My mouth parted with my lower jaw dropping. Not because of the vision but of the sight.

"Damn! That's huge! It looks like a palace than any house!" I heard Honda shout in awestruck. It has to be a palace...yet the place seemed so familiar...

"It _is_ a palace, well, _was_. It's the palace where Pharaoh Atem ruled," Malik said, "The place may be over three thousand years old, but it's comfortable to just live in there for awhile. It was renovated but see, the palace still stands."

"Awhile?" Anzu repeated, listening it all in to comprehend in understanding.

"Yes, all of you won't be here permanently, correct?" We nodded, after all, it was only temporarily on staying in the former palace. We jumped out of the jeep and began heading inside from the entrance. Only to say, it took our breaths away. Now, I know why this all seemed familiar. I've seen it in the Memory World when the Pharaoh went to retrieve his memories. I've never seen what inside the palace truly looked like but it's not the same.

Soon night fell over Egypt, dragging the half moon and the stars across the sky. I laid on the bed with the covers over me. I was sleeping peacefully, the half moon shone in the room from the windows that stretched from the floor to the ceiling.

•○

~_Dream_~

_I was seated in a large throne-like chair, it looked very big that I could see many small people from below. I could feel the hot, burning heat in the atmosphere, and yet so frightening and terrible the place is..._

_The piercing, hellish screams echoed. Their eyes were bulging out of their eye sockets as if they're going to pop out very soon. The color drained from their pale faces, their mouths wide open from terror. So much negative energy swirled that it felt there was no air. So suffocating, yet I still live...watching these people screams their heads off._

_I was not scared, I was not shocked or surprised. As if...I was used to this before..._

_What the hell is going on?_

_The painful screams still echoed. It was endless. The ground rumbled and the sky shook. I glanced to the right, there was another tall, huge being in the throne-like chair. He had the head of a jackal, his large black ears pointing up to hear everything. His daring, cold eyes looked at everything._

_Anubis, the god of death. He turned his head to look at me, I didn't flinch from his stinging gaze. He continued to stare as another screeching scream filled our ears._

•○

I woke up slowly from the odd dream. It had to be a nightmare but I didn't feel scared from it. I stared at the ceiling, the sun rays lighting up the room from the window.

I could still hear those painful screams...so painful you wish you never heard it. How the hell did I stand up to _that_? I might would never know...will I? A sigh escaped from my lips and peered over at the window.

I widened my eyes and sat up as fast as I can.

"Shit." I cursed as I held my head, now that I was dizzy from sitting up way too fast. I looked toward the window again. The drapes were white.

I could've sworn I saw a deep indigo color among the white drapes, was it just my imagination? Again, the drapes barely touched the floor when the ends of that purple..._thing_ was running smoothly to the floor. I sighed again before slipping out of the bed. This was going to be a long stay.

I got showered, dressed for the day. I rubbed my hand on my temple just as I left the chamber. There was that wretched gut feeling again. Something's going to happen today...

I met up with the Ishtars and Anzu in the dining room. Jounouchi and Honda were running late...again. No surprise, really. With any luck, they might try to get here on time. Before the person we're supposed to meet, hopefully.

"Sorry, we're late!" Jou's voice boomed in, running in with the brunet on his heels. We all sat down, grabbing our breakfasts beforehand. We made greetings and talked small talks of things. All the sudden, the room went ice cold for a split second.

"What was that?" Anzu asked, shivering slightly that she was rubbing her arms with her hands. Before we could move or even _think_. A familiar voice spoke. A voice I knew all too well...to be true.

"I apologize for being late. Sorry for the chill I've caused," a deep baritone voice said that barely differed from mine. I already knew who it was before I even looked to the end of the table with an empty chair▬not empty anymore with a transparent figure sitting in it. He has fire-shaped hair of jet black with blood red tips and golden blond bangs framing his Egyptian tanned face. His eyes opened so that his deep crimson ruby orbs shone. He sat cross-legged, his left over his right and his arms folded across his chest. He still wore his tunic and jewelries like when he was Pharaoh.

But something seemed different about him... I just don't know what...

Several of us shouted in surprise. The Ishtars weren't that surprised to see him, as they've met up with him before we even departed from Domino.

"ATEM!"

"OTHER YUGI!"

I said nothing, even with my mouth slightly parted. I could have said 'Atem'...or even 'Mou hitori no boku' but I said nothing. I just stared at the former King in front of me. Atem flashed a smile from their outbursts, that he was glad we remembered him after 11 years?

Somewhere inside me I was very happy to see him but something's very wrong.

Why was he _here_? Why did he return to the world of the living...as a spirit? I continued to stare, not even a smile formed on my face.

Something had to be up.

•○

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><p><strong>*<strong>Mou hitori no boku means 'The Other Me' in japanse.

*****The ages of the characters you can pretty much guess. Yuugi was 17 when Atem left, so he's 28 now.

*****The visions and dreams Yuugi has is critical to this story.

•○ •○ •○ •○ •○ •○ •○

This chapter is just the starting point for the plot.

I'm only experimenting different writing styles, so this kind of style is something new.

Not all chapters will be this long, it might be a little shorter if not, the same.

Hope you liked how this story started out, leave your comment. :)


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